Falling Again
by DeanLittle67
Summary: A tragedy drags Logan back into Rory's life. Can she help him recover? Set post Season 7.
1. Chapter 1 -- Fixed

Rory sat in the living room of her apartment in New York. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her. A simple one bedroom, one bath, with a balcony in a decent neighborhood. Decent gave it more credit than it deserved, but it was home for her. She'd been living there since the campaign ended, securing a spot at the _Times_. It had been three years since she denied his proposal, but she tried to not linger on that. She'd moved on. She'd gotten an amazing job and she was in love with her work, which left her little time for relationships. Sure, she had a date every once in awhile, but she'd never had anything serious since Logan.

Her laptop was open and she was typing her next article, the topic being the new city laws on smoking bans. It wasn't front-page or above the fold, but it was enough to keep her satisfied. She had the television playing in the background, occasionally glancing up to catch the time at the bottom of the news broadcast. When she looked at the time around nine, something else caught her eye. A picture of a very familiar blonde and her husband flashed on the screen. Her ears were ringing as the newscaster spoke. "Honor Huntzberger and her husband Josh Grant were involved in a car crash earlier this morning. It has been released by the Huntzberger Publishing Group Public Relations office that the two succumbed to their injuries this afternoon."

Honor was dead. That was the thought rushing in her head. She'd just seen her a few days ago, having kept in touch despite her failed relationship with Honor's brother. She couldn't believe Honor was dead. A knock on the door roused her from her thoughts. Setting the laptop on the table, she glanced outside. It was storming, the rain coming down in sheets. She shook her head as she stood and walked over. When she opened the door, she wasn't expecting what she saw.

Logan stood there, drenched. His eyes were red, and she could see the tear stains on his face. No words could be said, no words could help him and she knew it. She just stood there, shocked still. Shocked at the death of her friend, shocked at Logan showing up on her doorstep like a lost puppy who got caught out in the rain.

"Logan," she said softly. Her voice dripped with sorrow. He reached out, pulling her to him. The two stood there, embraced in a tight hug. She could feel his shoulders shaking and hear his sobs. She'd never seen him cry, not like this. She'd never seen him so broken.

"She's gone," he managed to say into her shoulder. She kept one arm around his waist while the other wrapped around his shoulder, her fingers trailing through his hair. She didn't know what else to do, and this was what she used to do when he was upset about anything.

After a few minutes longer, she pulled away and ushered him inside. "You're going to get sick if you stay in those clothes," she told him, walking into her bedroom. After some digging in her closet, she found the 'Logan' box. With it, she found a pair of his Yale sweats and a tshirt. She composed herself after glancing at the rocket. She hadn't looked at that since…

"Put these on. Bathroom's right over there," she pointed to the bathroom door before handing him the clothes. He walked away and she sat down, turning off the television and shutting down her laptop for the night.

She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe Honor was dead, she couldn't believe Logan had showed up at her place - let alone known where she lived. She didn't know how things were going to go from there. Obviously there was going to be the funeral, but what else? What more would happen now that Honor was gone.

She'd been like a sister to Rory, especially after Logan left. When Rory got both her inheritances the previous year, Honor had been there to help her. She'd gone over what would be expected of an heiress and the many loopholes for some of the functions.

He walked back out in the outfit. It still fit him, so she was glad about that. It was really the only thing she could be glad about at that point.

"Hey," she said softly as he sat down next to her. He gave her a sad smile as he leaned into her. "I know you're not ready to talk about anything yet, but I'm here when you do. You can stay here as long as you need to, Logan." It was true. She was able to put the past behind her because he needed somebody, and she was the person she chose.

"I saw her this morning, before the accident," he said softly. "We'd had breakfast in Hartford. I drove up from Boston because she wanted to see me." She held his hand as he continued to talk, and she listened. She had to be his rock, his world had just shattered. "I was the first to know besides her and Josh… She'd found out yesterday. She was pregnant." Her breath caught in her throat.

"She mentioned you a few times," he then told her. "It was all in passing. She told me you got your trust funds, that you didn't know what to do. She told me you got a job at the _Times_ , which I already knew. I acted shocked just for her. She always told me how much of an idiot I was back then. But she also told me how proud she was of me - not for what I did relationship wise, but what I made of myself without Mitchum. She was the one person in my family that understood me. It was always me and her against the world." He stopped talking again, and she could feel him shaking as he cried.

"Let's get to bed, okay?" It was almost as if no time had passed at all as she pulled him up from the couch and led him to the bedroom. Instinctively, he laid down on the left side of the bed and she laid next to him. His arm draped over her waist and he pulled her close as his head rested on her stomach. She didn't fall asleep though, no. Her fingers combed through his hair as she watched him sleep, his brow furrowed. An occasional whimper would escape from his lips, and she whispered reassurances to him before he could wake up.

She hadn't seen him in three years, at least not in person. Honor had shown her pictures, told her of his latest business success. But here he was, laying in her bed, the broken shell of the man she knew and loved. She didn't know if he would ever be Logan again, not after losing the rock in his life. She didn't know if he would ever be able to recover from a loss that big - imagining her grandmother after losing Richard. The older woman had never been the same, firing the help and moving into their smaller home in Cape Cod. She wasn't the same society woman, becoming more of a recluse. She could only hope and pray Logan wouldn't pull away like Emily had. He may not have known it, but she would always be there for him in a heartbeat, as would Colin and Finn. He may have lost a part of his family, but she hoped he wouldn't lose sight of the family that was still there for him.


	2. Chapter 2

She woke up to an empty bed. For a brief moment, she thought the night before was just a dream, that she'd be able to call Honor and tell her about said dream and meet up for lunch. That brief moment of reality distortion came crumbling down fast when she heard Logan rummaging in her kitchen. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment longer, she thought of what she was going to have to face when she walked in there.

Finally, she stood up, tossing the blanket to the side and got dressed. When she walked into the living room, she wasn't expecting what she saw. Logan looked like he hadn't slept - even though she knew he had. There were pots and pans on the counters and she smelled Clorox.

"Logan," she said, extremely confused. "Have you been cleaning my apartment?" He looked up at her, setting the Clorox wipes down on the counter. Sheepishly, he nodded. This allowed her to take a deep breath as she thought of what to say next.

"It's a habit I picked up when I was a kid. Whenever I'd get upset, Honor would tell me to clean something to get my mind off it. Usually, it was about my dad. The first time we separated, the apartment was practically spotless. Colin and Finn followed me to California, and let's just say they didn't need to hire maids. I figured, if I cleaned, I'd be able to start… start processing…" He took a deep breath, unable to finish his sentence.

"Let's sit down, okay?" she suggested. He just nodded, following her to the couch and sitting next to her. He smelled of bleach and lemon scented Clorox. "Talk. Anything, everything. Cleaning isn't going to take your mind off what happened." She saw him take a deep breath, cradling his head in his hands.

"I just can't believe my big sister…" His voice cracked. "She's gone, Rory. She was the one that made living with our parents bearable. She was the one who told me I could do anything I set my mind to, who told me when I was being an idiot, who helped try and take the heat off me when it was time for family dinners." He took another deep breath, and she could see the tears glistening on his cheeks. "It was a drunk driver, Rory. I can't tell you how many times I was stupid and got behind the wheel after drinking. That's how I crashed my Porsche when I was seventeen. Honor…" She could see how hard it was for him to say her name, his jaw clenching. "She was so mad at me, furious. God, she didn't talk to me for a week after that. And that idiot took her away from me, took her future away from her. Rory…" She took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze.

"We're going to get through this, okay? One step at a time." He nodded again. "Have you talked to Colin or Finn?" This time he shook his head. "I'm going to call them, okay?" Just a nodded response. "Try and rest." Another nod as he stood up and walked into the bedroom. When the door was shut behind him, she rummaged through his suit from the night before and found his cell phone.

She scrolled through until she came to the first of his friends. Dialing, the line rang until Colin answered. "What's up?" he asked, blissfully unaware of his best friend's pain. It was all over the news, how had he not heard yet? "Huntz, you there?"

"Umm, Colin. It's Rory," she said sheepishly.

"Oh, God," he sighed. "I'm going to assume he finally took Honor's advice. I mean, good for him, but when his heart gets broken again, I'm not canceling the maid." She closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. How was she supposed to tell him his best friend was an empty shell? How was she supposed to tell him that Logan's world had shattered?

"No. He showed up very unexpectedly last night. Where are you, Colin?"

"Venice with Stephanie. Why?" She took a deep breath, trying to find a way to tell him.

"Honor's dead." Two words she never wanted to have to say. She heard him start to say something before stopping several times, knowing he was letting her words sink in. She thought of the man that was in her bedroom, probably not sleeping like she'd suggested. She could only imagine the thoughts in his mind, of how broken he was.

"I'll call Finn. What's your address? I'm going to assume you're in New York based off your goals when we were in college. Finn's there, so he'll be by. I'm going to be on the next flight back." As he told her these things, his voice was distant. It was almost as if he was talking to fill the void their friend had left. She gave him her address before he continued on. "I'll talk to Mitchum and Shira, play liason. I need to make sure the funeral arrangements are being dealt with properly. Thank you, Rory. I'll see you soon." The phone went dead as he hung up.

She had been helping Logan through this, with him showing up on her doorstep. But in that moment of silence, she allowed herself to really cry. One of her best friends was dead, the woman who had been a shoulder to cry on so many times before. The same woman who had helped her transition into society as an heiress, who had been like the big sister she never had, was dead. She wasn't going to be a phone call away anymore. She wasn't going to be a car ride or an email apart. No, she wasn't coming back. As Rory's sobs shook her body, she didn't know what she was going to do. Honor had been there for her for so long, it was as if a piece of Rory had died along with her.

The shrill sound of his phone ringing roused her from her thoughts. Answering it without looking was a mistake when she heard a very familiar voice on the other end. "Logan. I hope you understand that your presence is required today, not just requested," Mitchum said gruffly as if talking to an employee, not his grieving child.

"I'll pass the message along to him, Mitchum. What time is he _required_ to be at your residence?" She wasn't going to put up with his bullshit or bullying, not with the circumstances.

"Be sure he's here at six o'clock sharp." With that, the older Huntzberger hung the phone up. Before she had any time to process, there was a knocking on her door. God, would things just stop! She wanted the world to stop for a minute, to at least slow down to let her catch her breath before throwing another thing at her. If only the world had stopped before she was killed, if only for her to have time to avoid the accident. No, the world didn't work that way. The world was cruel and unforgiving as it tore people apart. She answered the door, met with the face of a distraught man much like she had the night before.

"Mitchum called," she told Finn right away. "I don't know how to tell him. I don't know if I want to tell him." Finn just nodded, stepping into her apartment.

"He was cleaning," he told her. The apartment still smelled of Clorox, and she just nodded. "Where is he?" She led him over to the bedroom, opening the door for him. He stepped in and she watched him walk over to his friend. As he sat next to Logan on the bed, the blonde leaned over, clutching Finn as if his life depended on it as the sobs tore from him yet again. It broke her heart to see how broken Logan really was. The two friends clinging to each other, anchoring them in the reality they all wished to forget.

Six o'clock rolled around, and there she and Logan stood in front of the door of the Huntzberger home. It was nearly six years ago that they stood there under much better circumstances. Honor was announcing her engagement. A part of Rory expected the blonde to answer the door, begging the two to come inside because she couldn't stand another minute alone with _them_. But she never came, instead, a maid answering the door when he'd rung the bell.

"It's going to be okay," she assured him. He just nodded as they walked in. He'd asked her to go with him as support, and she'd willingly agreed. Colin was flying in the next day and Finn was meeting with Honor's lawyer to smooth over the details of her will.

The two made their way through the foyer to the sitting room where Shira was sitting on the couch, tissue in hand and eyes rimmed red. Mitchum stood at the fireplace, staring out the window. It was solemn, the place too quiet for her liking.

"I'm here," Logan told them. "So, what do you want from me? I'd much rather be at home right now." His voice was sharp, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever heard him like that before.

"I want you to watch your tone, boy," Mitchum growled. She knew the two didn't have the best relationship, but she'd never seen them so hostile. She held Logan's hand, hoping to bring him down from the cliff that he was standing on. "You're expected to be at the funeral next week, as well as the wake. I won't let you make a mockery of this."

"You expect me to miss her funeral, really? And a mockery? Really, Dad? She was my sister! I was the one who saw her right before the accident, remember? If anybody is going to make a mockery of this, it's going to be you with your business associates trying to get on your good side rather than honor her." She squeezed his hand, hoping to calm him down. She knew she came for a reason, this was that reason. She had to keep him calm, if only through this joke of a meeting.

"Logan," she said softly, and he looked at her. Her eyes pleaded with him to stay civil, to get through this in one piece.

"If I had to lose a child it should have been…"

"That's enough!" Rory finally said, breaking her silence. "I hope to God you weren't about to say what I think you were. We all love Honor, we can agree upon that. But wishing somebody else had been in her place is low, even for you, Mitchum. Logan came here and heard what is expected of him. We're leaving now." She glanced at the two grieving parents. Even grief did not excuse Mitchum's comments.

Pulling Logan out of the house, she didn't stop until they reached the car. She could see the anger still in him, in his eyes. "Take some breaths, Logan. What he said in there, it's not true. He's upset, and that doesn't excuse it, but you need to calm down." As they looked at each other, he crashed his lips against hers, pushing it all out of their minds for the moment.


	3. Update

A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a while since my last update - like 5 or 6 weeks. Has it really been that long? I'm sorry it's been so long. So here's the jist of it. Life is crazy, school is crazy, and most of all Netflix is crazy. I have a tendency to write when I binge-watch a show. Right now, I'm binging Grey's Anatomy. I know, it's blasphemy. So, be on the lookout for some of my Grey's Writing. I will continue to write this when I start binging Gilmore Girls again before the revival, so it might be a couple more weeks. Thank you all for sticking with me throughout this story, and don't worry, it's not abandoned. I hate saying this, but it's on a temporary hiatus... More like Hellatus, am I right? Sorry about my horrible humor. Thank you again.


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